Fiction  |  James Joyce  |  Ulysses  |  Sirens

Ulysses — Sirens (Part 7 of 30)

In came Lenehan. Round him peered Lenehan. Mr Bloom reached Essex bridge. Yes, Mr Bloom crossed bridge of Yessex. To Martha I must write. Buy paper. Daly's. Girl there civil. Bloom. Old Bloom. Blue Bloom is on the rye.

-- He was in at lunchtime, Miss Douce said.

Lenehan came forward.

-- Was Mr Boylan looking for me?

He asked. She answered:

-- Miss Kennedy, was Mr Boylan in while I was upstairs?

She asked. Miss voice of Kennedy answered, a second teacup poised, her gaze upon a page.

-- No. He was not.

Miss gaze of Kennedy, heard not seen, read on. Lenehan round the sandwichbell wound his round body round.

-- Peep! Who's in the corner?

No glance of Kennedy rewarding him he yet made overtures. To mind her stops. To read only the black ones: round o and crooked ess.

Jingle jaunty jingle.

Girlgold she read and did not glance. Take no notice. She took no notice while he read by rote a solfa fable for her, plappering flatly:

-- Ah fox met ah stork. Said thee fox too thee stork: Will you put your bill down inn my troath and pull upp ah bone?

He droned in vain. Miss Douce turned to her tea aside.

He sighed, aside:

-- Ah me! O my!

He greeted Mr Dedalus and got a nod.

-- Greetings from the famous son of a famous father.

-- Who may he be? Mr Dedalus asked.

Lenehan opened most genial arms. Who?

-- Who may he be? he asked. Can you ask? Stephen, the youthful bard.

Dry.

Mr Dedalus, famous fighter, laid by his dry filled pipe.

-- I see, he said. I didn't recognize him for the moment. I hear he is keeping very select company. Have you seen him lately?